Sven Gustaf Lallerstedt (1816 – 1864) was a Swedish journalist and politician. He was an eager spokesman for the whole of Scandinavia and he published a French leaflet ‘La Scandinavie, ses craintes et ses esperances’ (Scandinavia; its hopes and fears) which was later translated to Swedish and English.

“They do not remember that, under Sweden, Finland governed itself by its own deputies, disposed of its own finances, and enjoyed the active rights of independence. With the Grand Duke, it is governed by foreign laws, and has no control over its own revenues. With Sweden, it gained in the arts of civilization, and in the knowledge of the west; with Russia, it is led every day further into the dark circle of the world of barbarism”.

A Tale of Two Countries

A Tale of Two Countries is a digital gallery project lead by the Finnish Institute in London, created together with The British Library, The National Archives of Finland, The National Library of Finland and several other archives.

The Finnish Institute in London

The Finnish Institute in London promotes Finnish culture, society and research by strengthening existing networks and creating new partnerships in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Finland.